NEW YORK — Peyton Manning had a little fun with little brother Eli’s sad face at the Super Bowl during an appearance on NBC’s “Tonight Show.”

Peyton said he understood why Eli wasn’t elated like other relatives in the luxury suite at Levi’s Stadium who were jumping and celebrating after Denver’s late touchdown sealed the Broncos’ 24-10 win over the Carolina Panthers.

He said Eli had his game face on.

“Eli and I have always supported each other. I think Eli was analyzing the game and kind of into the game like I would be as if he were playing it. And so he was just as happy,” Peyton told host Jimmy Fallon during the show that aired Wednesday night.

Then, he and Fallon quickly pivoted to a bit where they spoke to a life-sized cutout of Eli, the New York Giants quarterback who won two Super Bowl rings himself.

“It’s funny, when I saw that clip, Jimmy, I’ve seen that look before. I’ve recognized it. At other big moments in my life he kind of had that similar expression,” Peyton said.

“I can remember 18 years ago, calling the night before the draft and said: ‘Eli, guess what? The Colts are going to draft me No. 1 in the NFL draft tomorrow.”’

The camera showed cardboard Eli’s expressionless face.

“Eli, I got us front-row tickets to see Adele!” Fallon chimed in as the audience roared.

“I remember almost five years ago: ‘Eli, Ashley and I are expecting twins. You’re going to be an uncle,”’ Peyton said.

“And then like four years ago coming off this (series of neck fusion surgeries), I was like: ‘Eli, guess what, my neck has finally healed. I’m going to play football again.”’

Fallon finished the bit by saying: “All those big moments in your life, he’s always there for you. That’s what a brother is for.”

The New York Giants hired former Detroit Lions general manager Martin Mayhew as their director of football operations/special projects.

The Giants announced the hiring on Thursday, saying Mayhew will help assistant general manager Kevin Abrams on all aspects of the salary cap, CBA compliance and player contract negotiations. He will also handle special projects as assigned by general manager Jerry Reese.

The Giants had an opening in their front office after the departure of Matt Harriss, who recently joined the Lions as their vice president of football administration. Harriss had been the Giants’ director of football operations.

Mayhew, who played in the NFL for nine seasons, spent 15 seasons with the Lions. He was the team’s general manager from late 2008 until last November.

Personal seat license sales for the Atlanta Falcons’ new stadium have surpassed expectations set by the firm handling the process for the team.

That doesn’t mean all fans have been won over by the pitch to pay big money for the right to purchase season tickets.

Ricky Burroughs, who had been a season-ticket holder since 1990, says he turned down the chance to keep his seats when Mercedes-Benz Stadium opens in 2017.

Burroughs said Thursday, “The best seat in the house is at the house, you know?”

Many fans have jumped on board. Michael Drake, vice president of the firm handling the sales for the team, says the first-year PSL results blew projections “out of the water.”

The Oakland Raiders re-signed safety Nate Allen on Thursday, two days after they released him.

Terms of the new deal weren’t disclosed. Allen’s initial $4.9 million salary for next season would have been guaranteed if he was on the roster Wednesday.

Allen was limited to five games last season because of knee injuries. He had 14 tackles, an interception and two passes defensed.

The former South Florida player signed with Oakland as an unrestricted free agent in March 2015 following five seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles.

The Detroit Lions signed linebacker Jerry Franklin.

Franklin adds depth for Detroit and has a shot to play in an NFL game for the first time since 2014.

He played in seven games with the Kansas City Chiefs two years ago. He was in 10 games with Chicago in 2013, a year after making his NFL debut and appearing in three games with the Bears.

Franklin was among the final cuts made by the New Orleans Saints, entering last season. He has also been on practice squads with the Denver Broncos and Dallas Cowboys.